Delegation meets Union minister on missing fishermen

Delegation meets Union minister on missing fishermen

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jan 09, 2019: A delegation of fishermen led by Akhila Bharatha Meenugarara Vedike and MPs from coastal districts and elected representatives, met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Tuesday.

They submitted a memorandum urging the Centre to track down the seven missing fishermen with the help of the latest technology. The fishermen urged the Centre to keep fisheries out of GST ambit and announce a separate ministry for the fisheries. The fishermen said that 8% cess levied on diesel supplied to fishermen should be removed and the supply of kerosene to traditional fishermen should be resumed.

Few boats work : Malpe Fishermen Association had decided on a combined search for the fishing boat, Suvarna Tribhuja. But on Monday night, only 15 to 20 boats with Tamil Nadu crew members left for deep sea fishing cum search operation.

Association General Secretary Gopal K R said the plans for a combined search was shelved as “Kalasi” (labourers) from Uttara Kannada had promised to go on a search after January 11. The boats will be sailing into the deep sea in batches and will also engage in search operations,” he said.

The investigation into the splinters of plastic containers, found floating in the sea near Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, were confirmed that they came from the missing fishing boat ‘Suvarna Tribhuja.’ Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi told media that the plastic containers were found by the fishermen in the area.

The department also had contacted the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, Karnataka State Remote Sensing Centre (KSRSC) and Isro for help in the search for the missing fishermen.

The MPs also appealed to the minister to retain the name of Vijaya Bank, even after the merger with Bank of Baroda. The minister responded positively and promised to look into the issue, sources added.

Protest : Opposing the merger of Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda, members of the District Congress will stage a protest in front of all branches of Vijaya Bank throughout Dakshina Kannada district between 10 am and 11 am tomorrow January 10, said MLC and district Congress Committee president Harish Kumar.

Speaking to reporters at the District Congress Committee office in Mangaluru, he called the decision of the Central government disheartening and said that it was wrong on the part of the government to merge Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda as the earlier is a profit-maker.

He meanwhile urged the MP from the district to convince the Central government to shelve its decision. If the merger is inevitable, the Bank of Baroda should be merged with Vijaya Bank and not the other way round.